Student Pilot Silent On Motive For Detour

August 10, 2001|By Jason T. Smith Miami Bureau

Miami — If pizza delivery man Milo John Reese had a reason for flying to Cuba during his flight training session, he's not telling.

Appearing in U.S. District Court Thursday, Reese refused to answer the questions of U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert DubM-i. He was also quiet during a pretrial interview, DubM-i said. His silence only heightens the mystery as to why he made the voyage.

Wearing leg shackles, Reese stood before the judge for the first time since being returned to the United States on Wednesday.

"Do you have an attorney?" DubM-i asked.

Reese stared blankly at the judge, giving no answer. After the judge asked a second time and still received no answer, he assigned Reese a public defender and noted that Reese also refused to answer questions during a pretrial interview.

Reese has yet to make public his reasons for taking the plane all the way to Cuba. A bond hearing for Reese was set for Aug. 14, and he will be arraigned Aug. 23.

Reese, 55, faces federal charges for unlawful transporting in interstate commerce of a stolen aircraft and also for grand theft of the 1977 Cessna 172N he flew to a rocky Havana shore on July 31. Reese was supposed to circle the Florida Keys-Marathon Airport during his first solo flight in the Paradise Aviation flight school. He had been taking lessons at the school in Marathon for two weeks before taking the solo flight.

Reese was later treated and questioned in a Havana hospital by Cuban officials.

His wife, Susan Reese, of Reno, Nev., has said her husband suffers from bipolar disorder.

Reese, former director of a group called Nevada Against Prostitution, faked his death in Reno in November 1999. He disappeared for 10 days but was found after he used his ATM card to withdraw money from a cash machine.

Jason T. Smith can be reached at jsmith@sun-sentinel.com or 305-810-5006.